Thief

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a playable, though not luxurious, experience in Thief, with the data clearly showing that 1080p is the intended resolution for this pairing. The combo ranks 1534th out of 1642 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of all systems, which is consistent with the RX 580's position as a mid-range card from the previous generation. While the CPU is a strong modern performer, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, making settings management critical for a smooth frame rate.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Thief?*

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently delivers high frame rates. At 1080p, average FPS ranges from 84 on Low to 43.8 on Ultra, whereas at 2560x1440 the range drops to 55.5 on Low and 31.5 on High, and at 3840x2160 it falls to 36.9 on Low and 18.4 on High.

Q: How does the frame rate scale between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The performance cost of Ultra is significant. At 1920x1080, the average FPS on Low is 84, which drops to 63.6 on Medium, 51 on High, and further down to 43.8 on Ultra. This represents a 47.8% decrease in average FPS from the lowest to the highest preset.

*Q: Is the RX 580 capable of 1440p gaming in Thief?*

A: The data suggests 1440p is only viable with significant settings compromises. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset achieves an average above 55 FPS at 55.5. The Medium preset averages 44.6 FPS, while High and Ultra presets fall to 31.5 and 32.2 FPS respectively, which may feel less smooth in a stealth-action game.

Q: How does the i5-12400F compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i5-12400F's average benchmark score is 19221, placing it 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-8700K (19210) and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-1335U (19167). It is 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS (19364) and 1.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7773X (18979).

Q: What is the RX 580's performance standing relative to other GPUs?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559 and sits in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, which scores 13564 with a 0% delta, indicating nearly identical average performance. It also performs within 1.1% of the AMD Radeon Pro 455.

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 84 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This is the only tested configuration that approaches or exceeds the standard 60 FPS target.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the primary determinant of frame rates in Thief, especially as resolution increases. With 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has sufficient memory capacity for the game's textures. The GPU's compute power is rated at 6.175 TFLOPS, with a base clock of 1257 MHz and a boost clock of 1340 MHz.

The data shows that the GPU's capabilities are quickly overwhelmed at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate remains below 37 FPS even on the Low preset. The jump to 2560x1440 is more forgiving, but the card still struggles with the High and Ultra presets, averaging 31.5 and 32.2 FPS. This pattern points to the GPU being the bottleneck, as the performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is steep. For instance, the High preset at 1080p averages 51 FPS, but this falls to 31.5 FPS at 1440p, a 38% reduction. The GPU's 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs and its close benchmark parity with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (a 0% delta in average score) confirm its mid-range status, meaning users should expect to dial back settings for higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F provides a robust foundation for this gaming setup. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it has ample processing power for modern game logic. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz are supported by a 18 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU's strong single-thread performance is evident in its benchmarks, scoring 3481 in PassMark single-thread and 2332 in Cinebench R23 single-core.

In the context of Thief, a game from 2014, the CPU is likely not the limiting factor. The i5-12400F's multi-threaded performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and a Geekbench multicore score of 9138. This processing headroom means that at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU has less work to do, the CPU can feed frames efficiently. The 84 FPS result at 1080p Low suggests the CPU is capable of supporting high frame rates. The CPU's average benchmark score of 19221 places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, and it trades blows with its nearest rivals, being 0.1% faster than the Intel Core i7-8700K and 0.7% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS. This performance level ensures that the RX 580 is the primary constraint on frame rates, not the processor.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience on this hardware, the data strongly points toward 1920x1080 resolution as the baseline. The 1080p results show a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. The Low preset achieves an average of 84 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 63.6 FPS is the sweet spot for a balance of quality and performance, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS while providing improved visuals over Low.

Moving to the High preset at 1080p drops the average to 51 FPS, which is still playable but may not be ideal for a game requiring quick reactions. The Ultra preset, at 43.8 FPS, offers the best visuals but at a performance cost that might not be worth it. At 2560x1440, the only recommended setting is Low, which averages 55.5 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 44.6 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. All 3840x2160 settings are not recommended, as even the Low preset only averages 36.9 FPS. The data indicates that for a consistently smooth experience, 1080p with Medium or Low settings is the optimal configuration, while 1440p should only be attempted with the Low preset.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of an Intel Core i5-12400F and an AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 1534th out of 1642 tested combinations in Thief. This places it in the lower 6.6% of all tested systems, which is a low ranking. This is primarily due to the GPU's age and performance tier, as the RX 580's 53rd percentile standing among all GPUs drags the combo down. The CPU, by contrast, is a high performer, sitting in the 77th percentile among all CPUs.

The ranking indicates that while the CPU is a modern, capable part, the GPU is the weak link. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with medium to low settings. The low ranking is not a reflection of a broken or malfunctioning system, but rather a mathematical classification of its overall performance against a wide field of other hardware pairings. Users with this setup should understand that it is a step below the performance curve for modern titles, but it is still capable of providing a playable experience in Thief at modest settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs best. The Low preset yields an average of 84 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this system. The Medium preset follows with 63.6 FPS, and the High preset averages 51 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 43.8 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 55.5 FPS, which is the only 1440p result above 50 FPS. The Medium preset averages 44.6 FPS, while the High preset averages 31.5 FPS. The Ultra preset is nearly identical to High, with an average of 32.2 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the combo is not capable of delivering smooth gameplay on any setting. The Low preset averages 36.9 FPS, the Medium preset averages 23.7 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets average 18.4 and 18.9 FPS, respectively.

These numbers show a steep performance cliff between 1080p and 1440p, and an even steeper one at 4K. The data confirms that 1080p is the only resolution where this combination can consistently hit 60 FPS or above, and only on the Low and Medium presets. The 1080p High preset, at 51 FPS, is the highest visual quality setting that remains within a playable range, while the 1440p Low preset is the only viable option for users wanting to step up in resolution.